The Ash and Squirrel
by Graystorm11
Summary: One-shot. Squirrelflight chooses Ashfur over Brambleclaw - what would happen? WARNING: It does not have a happy ending. Please review!


**One-shot so it's very short. Inspired by Tansyheart's ****_getting over your ex by ashfur_****. I don't own warriors but I do own this story. Enjoy!**

"A-are you serious?" Squirrelflight asked her sister.

"I can't deny what I saw." Responded the pretty brown tabby, her amber eyes sparkling with knowledge. "If I can't interpret the meaning of that dream, I'm not fit to be a medicine cat."

Squirrelflight's eyes gleamed. A bramble bush burned, then a squirrel scampering through the ashes? No clearer sign than that! Suddenly, Squirrelflight's eyes darkened. What would Brambleclaw say? Recently, he had been friendlier to the ginger she-cat and Squirrelflight was reluctant to ruin their bond. On the other paw, Starclan had wanted her and Ashfur to be together.

"Come on, Squirrelflight! It's obvious Starclan doesn't want you and Brambleclaw together. Make Ashfur happy!" Leafpool purred.

"I will," Squirrelflight meowed determinedly. She padded off to find her gray-flecked friend and tell him they were literally a match made in Starclan.

_5 moons later_

"You can come in now, Ashfur." Leafpool whispered. Ashfur purred and padded into the knot of brambles that made up the nursery.

Inside, Squirrelflight was curled up next to three kits. As her mate entered, the tired queen raised her head and blinked.

"You have three lovely kits" Ashfur purred and nuzzled Squirrelflight.

"You can name this one," Squirrelflight meowed, gazing at a gray spotted she-kit.

"Brindlekit, of course" Ashfur murmured, thinking of his sweet and beautiful mother, murdered by Brambleclaw's father.

"Frostkit," Squirrelflight whispered, nudging a sturdy white tom-kit.

"And Redkit," Ashfur and Squirrelflight mewed at the same time, looking at the last kit, a slender she-kit.

"They're gorgeous," Ferncloud purred from a nearby nest.

_And they're_ _ours_ Ashfur thought.

_11 moons later_

"Stay away from them, Brambleclaw!" Squirrelflight wailed. Flames licked at the underbrush around the three siblings, trapping them at the edge of the hollow.

Blocking the three littermates from escaping was a murderous looking Brambleclaw. His ears were flat against his head and his eyes were all but on fire with rage.

"Those should have been MY kits!" Brambleclaw howled, pointing a large claw at Brindlepaw, Frostpaw, and Redpaw. Redpaw cowered in fear while Brindlepaw stood defiantly. Frostpaw was letting out a yowl for mercy.

"Starclan told us to be together!" Squirrelflight cried, a last desperate attempt to get the enraged tom away from her kits.

"What has Starclan done for me? Stole my mate! Decided my father should be tortured before dying! They denied me from _deputy!_ That fool Brackenfur should never have become deputy! I need revenge!" Brambleclaw snarled, eyes flickering red in the light of the fire.

"Is this the best way of revenge?" Squirrelflight whimpered, green eyes pleading.

"It is the best way – of _hurting_ you." Brambleclaw wheezed, the smoke thickening. The tabby tom let out a maniacal laugh. "I _died_ after you left me! None of my clanmates saw it, but I bled every day! Rivers of blood flowing through the forest and _none of you saw it_!"

The fire was closing in on Brindlepaw, Frostpaw, and Redpaw. A smoky haze filled the air, choking the cats.

"I will have my revenge!" Brambleclaw screamed, refusing to back down. The smoke curled itself around the fierce tom, enveloping him in a gray cloud, making him seem unearthly. "I will kill you!" The smoke his Brambleclaw from sight now and it seemed as though something unseen, the earth itself, was speaking. Flame crashed down over the spot where Brambleclaw was, leaving Squirrelflight's kits with no means of escape except down into the burning hollow. Squirrelflight was separated from her kits; she was crying and screaming for them.

"This way!" Brindlepaw rasped. She led her coughing littermates down the cliff again, leaping onto the ground and dashing into the medicine cats den. Frostpaw and Redpaw followed, plunging deep into the rock crevice. The littermates took turns lapping out of the pool of water at the back of the den, trying to stay alive in one desperate attempt.

Once the fire had been put out with torrents of rain, Thunderclan slowly filed back into their burned camp.

"Where are my kits?" Squirrelflight shrieked. She and Ashfur darted around camp, calling for their son and daughters.

"In here!" Leafpool called frantically. Piled in a corner were the three smoke-stained apprentices.

"Frostpaw is dying and so is Redpaw." Leafpool murmured. "I'm so sorry." She whispered to her distraught sister.

"I think Brindlepaw will pull through." But not even that could help Squirrelflight's mood.

"Let the clan gather" Firestar called. Leafpool had to drag Squirrelflight out of the medicine cat's den so she could listen to the clan meeting.

"The fire scorched our camp and claimed the life of Brambleclaw." Firestar began. "While Frostpaw and Redpaw are getting ready to cross Starclan's border." At this, Squirrelflight gave a mournful yowl.

"That is why I'm going to give them their warrior names, with a ceremony I have only seen used once before." Squirrelflight noticed Brightheart at the edge of the crowd, looking miserable. Squirrelflight remembered an elder's story about Bluestar during her time of insanity, when she gave Brightheart the name Lostface. This must have been the ceremony performed then.

Frostpaw and Redpaw lay limp in the clearing.

Firestar started, "I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have learned the warrior code and have given up their lives in service to the clan. Let Starclan receive them as warriors. They will be known as Frostnose and Redflame." Firestar finished just as the new warriors took their last breaths

_I will have my revenge!_ Brambleclaw's dying words echoed in Squirrelflight's ears as rain drizzled down like Starclan itself was crying.

**I warned you it didn't have a happy ending! (Brambleclaw goes to the Dark forest - he became evil because losing Squirrelflight destroyed him.) Please review and tell me what you thought!**


End file.
